General Q&A about the great outdoors and outdoor pursuits.
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I used to go tent-trailer camping as a kid ('60s and '70s, west coast US and Canada) and don't recall worrying about people going into our campground and stealing things. Now I'm thinking about get...
I live in Northeastern United States, where it's spring at the moment. We keep bird-feeders throughout the year, so those that over-winter always have something to eat. As is usual at this time ...
Apparently, there is a theory that says Hummingbirds can become hypothermic if they sit on a feeder perch and drink several cropfuls of cold sugar water early in the morning. The birds fall to...
I am planning a trip to Berlin together with my wife for a week. Initially we wanted to do Berlin-Hamburg on the bicycle, but the plane connections are awful and we decided to do a loopback from an...
With sunblock it's relatively easy to know what to look for in terms of SPF, UV types etc, however with eco-friendly ones that aim to not put chemicals back in the ocean (used by surfers, swimmers,...
I found this spider yesterday running across a sidewalk next to a canal, it was bigger than a quarter and I think it was carrying an egg sack. Does anybody know what kind of spider this is?
I have a backpack with emergency survival gear for my car. The scenario being it might take a couple of days of walking to get someplace that money and/or a credit card will increase my chances of...
Because a number of accidents have occurred when a climber was lowered or rappelled off the end of a rope, it is wise to tie a stopper knot in the end(s) of the rope. My question is what stopper k...
There are a few questions about how to avoid rattlers, and what to do if you're bit, but at what point does a rattler actually strike? I had my first rattler encounter ever yesterday, just out in...
Do Robins like the mixed seed bird food I can buy from the garden centre? What bird feeder should I use for Robins and Tits?
I will go to rural areas in Madagascar and have an Inmarsat satellite phone. Does anyone know which number I can dial with this phone in an emergency? I already know that 117 is the local emergenc...
I am going to South East Asia for quite some time, and was looking for appropriate clothing. Quite a few websites recommend linen clothes, and almost all of them recommend UV protective gear due to...
While hiking near Lake Chelan (Washington, USA), I noticed this item affixed to the tree located at 48.150978, -120.493732: The tree in question is a short hike from a boat landing and right off...
I've been looking into making an oilcloth tarp. All the sources I have read so far seem to consider linseed oil the only oil to use, and I'm wondering why that is. So, what, if anything, is it abo...
I'm currently planning a trekking trip in the north of Norway in September/early October. Because most of my current gear is way to heavy or only for hot weather I'm buying a new set of camping eq...
I want to know the major differences between these two systems.
I need a knot that can be fastened and unfastened as quickly as possible (like a toggle on a jacket; twist and release). I also need to be able to tighten or loosen the rope easily. Basically, I wa...
A few years ago I was on a cycling holiday - on my own - in remote mountainous countryside in the north of Greece. One day, I came across a dog lying by the side of the road. I had passed quite a f...
There exist a plethora of different camping fuels, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your cooking equipment (mainly the used stove/burner) and the environmental conditi...
I have watched many documentaries about accidents on Everest and what I learned is, that it is impossible to rescue anybody from the death zone. It is simply too hard for the sherpas, or anybody el...
It seems you can get fuel for stoves in either gas form (butane, propane, etc.) liquid (methylated spirit) or solid fuel tablets. What are the particular advantages and disadvantages with each for...
For my Trangia stove, I usually use denatured alcohol / ethanol / methyl alcohol. Bringing methyl alcohol into Russia is apparently prohibited, and bringing ethanol is subject to a 22€/litre duty....
I'm using a rappel extension similar to what is shown in this video and that one. When the rappel start is a straight drop-off from a ledge and the anchor is low to the ground, I find it difficult...
I'll be going pretty deep into the woods with some buddies and staying in a cabin; I'll have access to a campfire and a wood stove. Can also bring batteries of any kind with me. I'd love to bring ...
I want to buy some sunglasses with a white frame and blue lenses because I like the look of the colors together, something like this (I also like the side protection of this particular model): Wh...
My question is motivated by the earlier question How To Quickly Warm A Tent, which generated a lot of interest, and one of the best comments ever on TGO: All I could think about after reading y...
Consider an ascension of a single rope with an ATC guide in locking mode and a foot loop with a friction hitch, as described in this answer: Quickest / most efficient way to ascend a hanging rope ...
Tents with (the outer tent) made of cotton or "technical cotton" (cotton blends) are heavier, more expensive, and take some more time to dry but they also have benefits (see below). Sure the weight...
I grew up in the 80s and most of what seemed top outdoor/adventure footwear was made of leather. Leather, at least in my surrounding was considered supreme for shoes. But a lot of enhancement in o...
In Colorado outdoor stores its not uncommon to see these small canisters of 95% percent oxygen that's sold to help people cope with high altitude. Is there any evidence that these actually help wi...
What is common way how to transport personal belongings while swimming? I am talking about scenario when I need to cross a lake by swimming. I would like to take my stuff (wallet, cell phone, shor...
I started reading about an interesting plant that is common around here called Mimosa Pudica, known as "touch-me-not" because of its leaves that close upon touching. It seems to be a plant with va...
I am looking for places to hike near Indianapolis that will be "exciting" for my feet. Specifically, are there places that you recommend within ~50 miles of Indianapolis that have a lot of uneven ...
Does anyone have experience with self-assessment of early stages of hypothermia, in the context of the other subjective experiences that may come with solo wilderness adventures? In my experience,...
I'm interested in the GSI Bugaboo 4-person cookset and the accompanying Destination Kitchen however I have two similar/related concerns about safety and I was hoping someone in this community might...
One of my neighbors is terribly concerned that her resident chipmunks will harm her flower beds. They dig holes, and she finds the holes unsightly. She wants to trap them and relocate them. Tr...
If you buy a box of ammunition, it usually says the muzzle velocity on the box in addition to the bullet weight (or you can find the information online). Given that bullet velocity depends on the ...
There's a dispute in my climbing group whether a "large" eye of the tie-in knot can be considered dangerous. While I don't see a problem with a loop that is about 10 cm across, others argue that th...
For some reason, once in a while I get confused if you add magnetic declination to magnetic bearings to get true bearings, or if you add magnetic declination to true bearings to get magnetic bearin...
I purchased a sock filled with thistle and a large bag of bulk thistle from the same store. The sock is hung and the bulk thistle is in a feeder, but the birds don't eat from either. Is there any...
I keep seeing slightly different answers for some of these questions. In summary of what I know already, please tell me if I am wrong. You can own any knife of any length, with the following gene...
In order to charge my electrical equipment while backpacking (GPS, camera for timelapses, phone, etc) I bring along a large battery. To calculate the size of the battery you can figure out how many...
Awhile back I heard on CBC radio about a man who got trapped in a forest fire (surrounded on all sides) and survived. The way he survived was so ridiculous that he was brought to court and almost f...
Are there any features to regular trekking poles that adjustable cross-country ski poles do not have? I know that many people use trekking poles for snowshoeing but are there any reason adjustable ...
Some knives have gut hooks, and some have line cutters, Source It basically the same notch just optimized for different purposes. How exactly would one sharpen the gut hook/line cutter? Its...
I am going to go backpacking this summer, and my goal is Sweden. Looking around, I have grown to like the landscapes of Abisko in the north of Sweden. But, because it is rather far away from where ...
My girlfriend and I both like sleeping in hammocks in the outdoors. We now sleep in two separate hammocks. However, I've seen many hammocks that are designed, or at least make it possible to sleep ...
This question asks what the downsides are to hammock camping, but doesn't really address the reasons why you would want to sleep in a hammock to camp. Let's say I'm backpacker new to the idea of s...
I plan to start doing some hunting in the greater southern Nevada Mojave desert (say within a 2 hour drive of Las Vegas). I know that while hiking, there is some "safety" from snakes because you a...
